“No,” Lena said, voice rough, unapologetic. She finally turned. Her ears were flat, but her eyes were wide, predatory, fixed on the stranger. “You’ll stay back. Sam’s handling you.”
Sam didn’t flinch. Instead, her lips parted in a slow, hungry smile. She set the watering down, stepping into Lena’s space. Her fingers brushed Lena’s jaw, thumb tracing the sharp line of her canine. “She’s been like this all morning,” Sam murmured, voice low enough that only Lena could hear. “Every time I smile at someone. It’s adorable.”
“It’s not adorable,” Lena snapped, though her tail had already wrapped around Sam’s thigh, pulling her closer. “It’s a warning.”
The customer cleared their throat, looking between them like they’d wandered into a territorial dispute. “I, uh, I’ll just check out online.” They backed away, nearly tripping over a stack of nursery pots.
The bell chimed again as they left. The shop fell quiet, save for the hum of the dehumidifier and the rapid thud of Lena’s heartbeat. Sam’s fingers slid into her hair, tilting her head back. “You’re so fucking possessive,” she whispered, eyes dark. “It’s my favorite thing about you.”
Lena’s breath caught. The mate bond hummed between them, a live wire sparked to life. She could feel Sam’s pulse in her throat, the way her skin warmed at Lena’s touch, the subtle shift in her scent that always happened when Lena got close. It was intoxicating. It was hers.
“I don’t share,” Lena said, voice dropping to a guttural register. “You’re mine. All of you.”
Sam’s hips shifted forward, grinding against Lena’s thigh. “Then claim me properly. Before I lose my mind.”
Lena didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed Sam’s wrist, fingers digging in, and dragged her toward the heavy curtain at the back of the shop. The back room was narrow, lined with shelves of spare pots, bags of soil, and their shared bed pushed against the far wall. Lena shoved Sam against the door, the wood thudding behind them. Her mouth crashed onto Sam’s, tongue sweeping in, tasting mint and summer. Sam gasped into her, hands flying to Lena’s hips, nails scraping down through the thin fabric of her shirt.
“Lena—” Sam broke the kiss, breathless, eyes hazy. “I’m yours. Always.”
“I know,” Lena growled, and that was all it took to undo them. She hiked Sam’s skirt up, fingers working the button of her jeans with feral speed. The fabric fell away, leaving Sam bare from the waist down in the humid back room air. Lena’s hands were everywhere, mapping her waist, her ribs, the soft dip of her belly before dropping to grip her thighs and spread them wide.
Sam’s slickness was already there, dripping onto Lena’s fingers. She moaned, head falling back. “Fuck, you always smell so good when you’re ready for me.”
Lena didn’t answer. She leaned in, biting down on the curve of Sam’s hip, hard enough to mark, soft enough to make her shudder. Her tongue flattened, dragging over the fresh pink skin before moving lower. Sam’s hips bucked, fingers tangling in Lena’s hair. “Down here. Please.”
Lena obeyed, sinking to her knees. Her ears perked forward, tail lashing. She parted Sam’s folds with her thumbs, inhaling the heavy, sweet scent of her arousal. Then she dove in.
Her tongue was wide, skilled, hitting that swollen clit with relentless pressure. Sam cried out, one hand fisting in Lena’s shirt, the other braced against the wall. Lena sucked, lapped, circled, matching the rhythm of her own throbbing desire. She could feel Sam’s walls fluttering, already tightening around nothing. Lena smiled against her skin. “You’re so wet for me,” she mumbled, pulling back to look up. “So fucking dripping. Tell me who you belong to.”
Sam’s head rolled forward, eyes glassy. “Yours. Only yours. Please, Lena, I need you—”
Lena stood in one fluid motion, shoving Sam’s jeans and panties down her legs. She turned her around, pressing her against the wall, one arm locking around her waist to keep her steady. Sam’s back arched as Lena’s hand found her slit, spreading her open before her own body pressed against her. Lena’s futa cock, thick and heavy, pressed against Sam’s ass, pre-cum slicking the skin.
“Look at you,” Lena growled, leaning over her shoulder, biting the shell of her ear. “So pretty. So mine.”
Sam whimpered, pushing back. “Please. Inside. Now.”
Lena’s fingers worked Sam’s entrance, stretching her, coating her in slick before she lined up. She didn’t rush. She pressed forward, slow and deliberate, feeling every inch of Sam’s heat close around her shaft. Sam gasped, knees buckling, but Lena held her firm, bottoming out with a deep, claiming thrust that made them both shudder.
“Mine,” Lena repeated, voice rough, as she began to move. In and out, deep and steady, each stroke hitting that sweet spot inside. Her hand moved to Sam’s front, fingers circling her clit in perfect time with her hips. Sam’s cries echoed off the tile walls, high and desperate. Lena’s tail was wrapped tight around Sam’s calf, her body a cage of muscle and heat.
“Louder,” Lena ordered, biting Sam’s shoulder. “I want the whole shop to know who owns you.”
Sam’s hips snapped back, meeting every thrust. “Yours! Only yours, Lena, fuck—”
Lena’s pace shattered. She grabbed Sam’s hips, fingers digging into soft flesh, and drove harder, faster, deeper. The friction was electric. Sam’s walls clamped down, hot and tight, and she came with a broken cry, body trembling around Lena’s cock. Lena didn’t stop. She felt Sam’s climax ripple through her, and it broke her. She buried herself to the hilt, hips locking, and pumped hot, thick seed deep inside Sam, marking her from the inside out.
She stayed there, breathing hard, forehead resting against Sam’s shoulder. Her purr was loud, vibrating through them both. Sam’s fingers traced her spine, shaky but sure. “You’re ridiculous,” she whispered. “And I love you.”
Lena nuzzled her neck, licking the sweat there. “Always,” she murmured. “Even when you make me lose my mind.”
Sam’s breath hitched, a soft laugh escaping her. “Worth it.”
Lena pulled out, the wet sound echoing in the small room. She turned Sam around, pressing her against the wall again, and kissed her deeply, tasting her own claim on Sam’s lips. The mate bond flared, bright and warm, wrapping around them like a second skin. Lena’s hands slid down to grip Sam’s thighs, lifting her slightly, holding her there against the wood. She could feel the aftershocks in Sam’s body, the way her heart still raced. Perfect.
“Next time,” Lena murmured against her mouth, “I’m bending you over the watering cart. Let everyone see what happens when they look at you too long.”
Sam shivered, pressing her forehead to Lena’s. “I’d let you.”
Lena’s tail tightened around her leg. “Good girl.”
The afternoon sun slanted through the front windows, painting gold stripes across the floor when the bell chimed again. Lena was behind the counter, counting inventory, when Sam’s entire posture shifted. It was subtle—just a softening of her shoulders, a slight tilt of her head—but Lena’s ears flattened instantly. She knew that look. She’d seen it before.
“Hey,” Sam said, voice dropping into something warmer, softer. “What are you doing here?”
The woman who stepped inside was tall, dark-haired, wearing a leather jacket that hugged curves Lena had no interest in remembering. She smiled at Sam like she was sharing a secret. “Missed you, Sam. Dropped off that monstera you were asking about.”
“Thanks, Riley,” Sam said, taking the plant. Their fingers brushed. A casual touch. A familiar touch.
Lena’s claws scraped against the wood of the counter. A low, dangerous growl vibrated in her chest, too quiet for the customer but loud enough for Sam. Sam glanced back, eyes wide, then quickly turned away, but not before Lena caught the flush on her cheeks.
Riley’s gaze slid to Lena. “You must be Lena. Sam talks about you. All the time.”
Lena didn’t smile. She stepped out from behind the counter, moving with deliberate, predatory grace. Her tail was a rigid line behind her. “She talks about me,” Lena repeated, voice smooth, cold. “Because I’m everything she needs.”
Riley’s smile didn’t falter, but her eyes hardened. “Right. Well. I’ll leave you two to it.” She turned to go.
But Sam stepped forward. “Riley, wait. I should walk you to your car. It’s a bit early for you—”
“No.” Lena’s voice cut through the air like a blade. She was in front of Sam in two strides, body blocking her from the door. Her eyes locked onto Riley. “You’re done. You don’t get to just show up here, drop off plants, and act like you still have a place in her life.”
Riley crossed her arms. “I’m not trying to take anything. We were together for two years, Lena. I’m not some stranger.”
Sam flinched. The mate bond in Lena’s chest snapped taut, a live wire of fury and ownership. Two years. Before her. Before the claiming. Before Sam’s scent was permanently fused with hers. Before Lena had learned the exact rhythm of Sam’s breath, the way her body arched at a certain touch, the exact shade of brown in her eyes when she looked at her like she was the only person in the world.
“Two years,” Lena repeated, voice dropping to a feral register. “Before I found her. Before I marked her. Before I made her mine.” She stepped closer, invading Riley’s space. “You don’t get to stand in my shop, look at her like you remember her, and expect me to just nod and smile. She’s mated. To me. And I don’t share.”
Riley’s jaw tightened. “Sam’s an adult. She can choose—”
“Sam chose,” Lena cut in, sharp. “Years ago. And I’ve had her every night since. Now get out.”
Riley hesitated, then gave a tight nod. “Fine. Call if you need anything.” She turned and left. The bell chimed. The shop felt suffocating.
Sam let out a shaky breath. “Lena, she wasn’t doing anything. It was just a plant drop-off.”
“She touched you,” Lena said, voice raw. “She smiled at you like you were still hers. Like I hadn’t already claimed every inch of you.” She grabbed Sam’s wrist, fingers digging in. “You don’t get to look at her. You don’t get to speak to her. You don’t get to remember her.”
“Lena—”
“Back room. Now.”
Sam didn’t argue. She followed, but her breath was uneven, her pulse jumping in her throat. Lena pushed the door shut, locked it, and spun Sam around. Her hands were on Sam’s waist, then her hips, then her hair, tilting her face up. Lena’s mouth crashed onto hers, hard and desperate, tongue demanding entry. Sam gasped, then yielded, hands flying to Lena’s shoulders.
“You’re mine,” Lena growled against her mouth. “Say it. Say it before I lose my mind.”